Mc Fatty

Ha! He's LOST weight! He'll never lose his 'brick' -like look thanks to his fjord lineage but the jiggling bits are receeding, thank god! I think that besides a couple of inches of height that his hip has filled out this past year.

A confo shot taken two months ago (yay! he's not downhill! please excuse the long front toes. I'm working on taking them back):

And the ultimate comparison photo, in the trailer with Bill about one month ago:

The lighting is bad, but when compared to the same shot from last year (lower left), I think you can really see a difference in Max's height. SO glad I've been waiting to get a western saddle fitted for him!!

Bath Time!!

Great way to have fun on the hottest of days and give the horses a small reprieve from itchy bugs and dried sweat. Been playing with my friend's product line, Ecolicious Equestrian (shameless plug). Love the citrus scent and a 20 min conditioner soak of the Maximus Dianna Ross mane and tail yeilded soft silk, days later!

He was less than impressed and sulked until I turned him back out. Five strides to the nearest dirt spot and he was down for a good, back-scratching roll.

Gorgeous Summer

Lots of fun this summer... not quantity of riding but most definitely quality. Canter work in the outdoor arena is building confidence and balance. He does a fabulous light little prance on his favourite lead.

Almost have the hubby convinced on a mud road ride. I want to get out and stretch his legs! ...the horse, not the hubby. We'll have to trailer 10 minutes from home but it's a much better option than riding rocky roads at the walk for over an hour.

Hay is pretty sexy this year!

A Mazing

Some great adventures over the last few days that I've finally got time to re-live.

Thursday and Friday nights I rode with a friend who was prepping for a weekend show, at the arena up the road. Never get enough time with this fantastic friend and had a blast. Max is really coming along. It has been almost an entire year and I finally feel like we are moving closer to that elusive seemless connection. I am asking for my space more, both on his back and on the ground.

Someone else with some kind of equine education climbed up on his back in recent days and I felt much better about the conversations we do have. What I manage to make seem easy is in fact quite difficult with this boy. Yahoo! Two riders were amazed at how much physical effort was required for the most simple tasks.

One particular session that really seemed to be a turning point for us was working on our canter departures and doward trasitions in our 110x120 outdoor arena. I think the lack of visual barriers (walls) helped him to feel more comfortable as, the next two rides - in the indoor - his confidence and balance was much improved.

This weekend held a first outting for Maximus. We attended a local horse show, a few miles from home. I have to say he blew my expectations out of the water. 100+ horses - no problem. Childrens Choo-Choo Train tooling around - no problem. Flags, tents and garbage debris flapping and floating around - no problem. Children zipping about, yodeling - no problem. He was phenomenal. Even stood around like a gentleman for 20 minutes to watch the show and allowed me to use all manner of obstacles to mount up from. - Really should punch more holes in that girth!! I might then be able to spring up from the ground... spring... hmmm. Whatever there is left exisiting of that, at this point in my life.

FINALLY!!

After more than a month of anticipating the arrival of our little alien, SHE'S here!!!!

True to horsey form, Mom waited until the wee hours to pull off her little surprise. We were quite ecstatic to peek out our kitchen window at 6 a.m. this morning (thanks! toddler) to espy Mom leading baby around the pasture. It was a little chilly before the clouds cleared way for the sun and I imagine she was trying to keep her shivering baby warm. Both have come through the ordeal well and Mom is proving to be properly concerned and protective, not letting us within 10 feet of them and equally keeping her filly away from the herd.

They are all excited, battles for heirarchy momentarily forgotten as they oggle and prance along their shared fenceline. Everyone seems to be on their best behaviour so far and their curiosity remains polite.

I'll have to go snag some better pictures, now that the sun is out and everyone's settled down a bit.

Much Activity

Well, I was totally irresponsible and spent my MPI rebate on new riding gear - ultra-chushy paddock boots, gorgeous vented half-chaps, and little nubbed spurs, all English and all chocolate coloured!! All I can say is YUH-mmy!

The pair of new horses have arrived, had their feet trimmed, been dewormed and just yesterday, integrated into the main herd. Busy week for them! Below is the 4 year old Canadian Mare, of Quebec breeding stock. She's an entirely different creature than what we see through Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Just poetry standing stock still and one gorgeous nature on her.


Her herd mate is a rather boisterous Quarter Horse in his teens, rather tall and lean like her. He's also quite pretty, though very territorial over his ladies - he's already claimed the skinny grey mare, to which I think Bill was rather relieved. He takes his responsibilities of herd protection seriously but she never had a moment's interest in him.

Speaking of grey mares, the fat one is expanding by the minute. She's bagged up. We're all waiting anxiously to see who arrives and hoping for a nice morning suprise. This will be her 4th baby and we really have no desire to wallow in the experience of birthing ourselves. She's got 2 acres of grass all to herself - plenty of room to safely deliver, we hope.

And just cause he's such a camera ham and I adore him:

Before hubby left for his extra-long weekend (and after this photo), he helped me nail Max's feet down as well as I ever have - read: he held the lead rope and backed him over top of me a couple of times, lmao! I'd say three more trims and Max'll be steady enough to park a milk crate under so I can save my back! He's really come a long way from the dancing prankster of last year.

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

Title is inspired by how my toddler wiggles his little tushy to music, as he says the words, no less. And back on topic:

Worms. Newest arrival was just dewormed yesterday and voila! I haven't seen such large round worms before!!! Methinks a second round of the paste before integration would be prudent. A gorgeous yearling shire colt that did NOT show any obvious symptoms. Goes to show...

Our first arrival from last year has proven herself a little too flirtatious just prior to her purchase and subsequent move to our place. She's due to POP within the month. Very exciting! Anyone out there want to buy a Paint/Percheron/Quarter Horse filly? I'm just sure it's a girl!

We have two new arrivals, the last to round off our herd, showing this coming weekend. Very excited about it! Not only do we have great horses rounding out our herd, but we have great people filling our ranks!

~~~

You know that dream you had as a horse-crazy youngster? Every square inch of green was pasture potential, every picket of white fence spurred a frantic search for a tail-swish contained within, every barrel on sticks a potential pardner? The horses movies were made of danced through your head every night you fell asleep... if only you could just have that solid buddy to race around the back yard with! You could stretch out on his back, reading a novel as he grazed in some picturesque meadow. You could just leap up on, bareback, at any whim and happily prance around, sans equipment, in total unison...

Well, okay... maybe we aren't there yet and maybe we will only reach our muted, twisted little version of it. But to have a horse you can trust so much is so freeing and uplifting! We still butt heads every other stride but we're sure happy doing it. I can lounge on him in almost any position as we socialise. He's always eager to play and try any thing. Nothing phases this solid boy and I'm so ecstatic I took the chance on him! He's been cleared for another year by the vet and bridling is 120% better. This summer, we tackle the last obstacle: our fear of vehicles, those trixy things!!